Flatiron holder



Aug. 18, 1925- 1,549,954

R. L. BALL FLATiRoN HOLDER Filed Nov. 21. rag

Patented Aug. 18, 1925.

Ft lE.

FLATIRON HOLDER.

Application filed November 21, 1924.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH L. BALL, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Dorchester, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Flatiron Holders, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to fiat iron holders of that type which are adapted to be attached to the flat iron and which are con structed to be swung upwardly out of the way while the iron is in engagement with the work being ironed and which are adapted to swing downwardly into operative position when the flat iron is not being used.

One of the objects of my present invention is to provide a flat iron holder of this type which is Very simple in construction and inexpensive tomanufacture.

Another object or the invention is to pro vide a. flat iron holder which can be pivotally mounted on the handle of the flat iron and which is arranged to be swung laterally about the handle as an axis to carry it into inoperative position while the iron is being used and which swings down into operative position to support the flat iron above the supporting surface when the flat iron is to be laid down.

Further objects of my invention are to improve flat iron holders in various respects all as will be more fully hereinafter set forth.

In order to give an understanding of the invention 1 have illustrated in the drawings a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a flat iron holder embodying my invention, the flat iro-n supported thereby being shown in dotted lines;

Fig. 2 illustrates the holder in the position it occupies while the iron is in engagement with the work;

Fig. 3 is aview showing the holder in its operative position supporting the flat iron;

Fig. 4 is a plan view.

In the drawings 1 indicates a flat iron of any suitable shape or construct-ion which is provided with the usual handle 2.

Serial No. 751,239.

My improved flat iron holder will preferably be made from wire and may conven iently be made from a single length of wire. It is provided with a foot portion 3 which is adapted torest on the table "I or other sup porting surface, an upright or body portion 5 and a hinge portion at the upper end of the upright portion which is hinged or swivelled to the handle 2 of the flat iron. Where the holder is made from the wire this hinge portion may be made by bending the wire to form two U-shaped portions adapted to to embrace the handle 2 near each end. The wire is also bent to form the upright portions 5 which extend downwardly from the U-shaped portions and is further bent. to form the foot portion 3. Where the holder is made from a single length of wire the U-shaped portions 6 may be formed in the ends of the wire and the foot portion 8 will be formed from the central portion of the wire, said foot portion in such case compri ing the two arms 7 which are connected by the connecting portion 8. lVith this construction the uprights a extend upwardly from the foot portion at one side thereof and have such a vertical dimension that when the handle of the flat iron is hung in the U-shaped portions 6 the bottom face of the Hat iron will be suspended above the foot portion 7 as best seen in Fig. 3.

The upper ends of the uprights 5 are curved inwardly as shown at 9 to extend over the top of the flat iron and underneath the handle and the U-shaped portions 6 are located at the upper ends of the arms 5 and are located over the center of the foot portion.

The U-shaped portions are open: at the side, the upper legs 10 thereof lying on top of the handle and the lower legs 11 on the bottom of the handle. These legs 11 are connected to the portion 9 by the reverse curve 12.

The upper leg 10 of one of the U-shaped portions is provided with the laterally-entending finger piece 13 by which the device is manipulated.

The holder is placed on the fiat iron by inserting the handle 2 thereof into the U-shaped portions 6 and when the holder is allowed to assume its normal position it will swing about the handle and gravitate into the position shown in Fig. 3, which is its operative position. When in this position it supports the fiat iron above the table or supporting surface 4, the flilo iron being suspended by its handle 2 which is supported in the lJ-shaped portions 6.

hen the flat iron is to be used ator grasps the handle in th r and, presses the linger piece 13 (o vuv'ardly with the thumb as shown in Fig This serves to swing the holder about ;i handle as apivot, the holder swinging laterally and being carried into the position shown .in- Fig. 2 where it is entirely out of the way. The iron may then be used as an ordinary iron for ironing purposes and whenever it is to be laid down the operator will simply rolease the pressure on the thumb piece 13 allowing the holder to gravitate into its operative position, in which position the foot portion 3 is beneath the iron. The iron with the attached holder may then be laid down on a table and the iron will be supported on the holder with its hot face separated from the table.

The operation of swinging the holder into its inoperative position does not require any special movement or manipulation on the part of the operator for when the operator) grasps the handle as shown in 2 her thumb is naturally in position to press down wardly on the thumb piece so that the swinging of the holder into its inoperative position is performed with the same muscular movement that is used in grasping the handle In many flat irons the handles 2 are so made that they are smaller in diameter a portions 14 between the center and each end, the handle having a progressively increasing diameter from the points 1% towards the ends.

In order to retain the holder on the handle 2 I propose to so make the U-shaped portions 6 that the legs 10 and 11 converge toward each other slightly so that said legs are further separated at the center thereof than at the throat. The throat of the it shaped portions is of a size to fit over the portions 14 of the handle having the least diameter. The holder is also made so that normally the two U-shaped portions are further sepa 'ated from each other than the portions i l of smaller diameter on the handle and in applying the holder to the fiat iron the two upright portions 5 are bent slightly toward each other as shown in dotted lint-s Fig. at so as to bring the U-shaped portions 6 in position to slip over the portions let of the handle of smallest diameter and after the handle has been inserted into the U- shaped port-ions the uprights 5 are released and by their resiliency they swing into the full line position thus carrying the U-shaped portions onto the portions of the handle of larger diameter, said portions having a diameter larger than the opening across the throat. lVith this construction the holder cannot be removed from the fiat iron except by springing the two parts 5 toward each other as shown in dotted lines and, therefore, any accidental displacement of the holder will be prevented.

A holder embodying my invention is very simple to manufacture as it comprises simply a length of wire bent into the desired shape and it is also easy to apply and easy to manipulate.

I claim:

1. A flat iron holder made from a length of wire which is bent centrally to form a foot portion, said wire being bent upwart ly from the foot portion to form uprights, the upper ends of the uprights being bent laterlly over the foot portion and being further bent to form U-shaped pivot portions adapted to embrace the handle of a flat iron and to constitute means for pivotally mounting the holder on the flat iron handle so that said holder may be swung laterally out of the way when the fiat iron is to be used but without removing the holder from the iron.

2. A holder for a flat iron made from a piece of, wire bent to form a foot port-ion adapted to rest on a table or other support, two upright portions extending upwardly from the foot portion, the upper parts of each upright portion being bent laterally over the foot portion, said wire being also bent to form two U-shaped portions at the upper ends of the uprightsarranged with their open sides directed laterally and adapt ed to receive the handle of the flat iron, one of the U-shaped portions having a thumb piece projecting therefrom by which ,the holder may be swung about the handle of the flat iron into-inoperative position.

3. A holder for a flat iron made from a piece of wire bent to form a foot portion adapted to rest on a table or other support, two upright portions extending up wardly from the foot portion, the upper parts of each upright portion being bent laterally over the foot portion, said wire being also bent to form two U-shaped portions at the upper ends of the upright portions arranged with their opensides directed laterally and adapted to receive thehandle of the flat iron, the legs of each U-shaped portion being separated slightly'less atthe throat than at the central portion thereof.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

RALPH L. BALL. 

